Diaper rinsing device



y 1, 1962 D. J. HELLWIG 3,031,683

DIAPER RINSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Donald J. Hal/wig l N VEN TOR.

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DIAPER RINSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (\E 33\H/40 Hg 4 was 1: 34 z :IIL E1 48 24s* 43 Fig. 5 50 o) 9 0 (D (0 Donald J. Hal/wig 1N VENTOR.

States atent 3,631,683 Patented May 1, 1962 doc 3,031,683 DIAPER RINSING DEVTCE Donald J. Hellwig, 7848 Cora St., Sunland, Calif. Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,786 Claims. (Cl. 4-1) This invention relates to a novel and useful diaper rinsing device, and more specifically to a diaper rinsing device which is particularly well adapted for use in a toilet bowl to rinse a diaper by flushing water into the toilet bowl.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 663,977, filed June 6, 1957, entitled Diaper Rinsing Device, now Patent No. 2,940,- 289, issused June 14, 1960. The present invention resides in the provision of a container which may be positioned in a toilet bowl for the reception of soiled diapers thereinto and also the provision of a plunger which is vertically movable in the container and is adapted to grasp and agitate a soiled diaper contained therein whereas the invention of my above Patent No. 2,940,289 resides in the provision of the plunger alone for grasping and agitating a soiled diaper in a toilet bowl.

The present invention also resides in the provision of a container for receiving soiled diapers which is adapted to be positioned within a toilet bowl and which is constructed in a manner coacting with the toilet bowl to provide a seal between the outside surfaces of the container and the lower portion of the toilet bowl below the normal water level therein whereby a diaper may be rinsed in the container without contaminating the water within the toilet bowl disposed on the outside of the container.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a diaper rinsing device which will eliminate the handling of soiled diapers and the rinsing of the diapers by hand.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which is adapted to be positioned in a toilet bowl in a manner whereby the interior of the device comprising a container is partially filled with water for rinsing a soiled diaper without permitting the soiled water to commingle with the water disposed within the toilet bowl on the outside of the container.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide means in the container for permitting the entrance of clean water from the toilet bowl into the container upon the flushing of the toilet bowl without allowing the back flow of contaminated Water into the toilet bowl on the outside of the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a plunger vertically movable in the container and adapted to grip a diaper for agitating the water and a diaper within the container.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a diaper rinsing device for the above purposes which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction, and easy to operate so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and operable by substantially every person capable of changing a diaper.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the plunger for the container, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the diaper container shown with an upstanding handle secured thereto;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower part of the plunger taken substantially upon a plane passing through the horizontal center line thereof, and

FIGURE 6 is a side vertical sectional view of a toilet bowl with the diaper rinsing device being disposed therein in operational position, parts of the toilet bowl being broken away.

With attention now directed more particularly to FIG- URE 6 of the drawings there will be seen a toilet bowl generally designated by the reference numeral ll which is provided with downwardly convergent side walls 12 defining a reduced throat area 14 through which the water 16 within the toilet bowl 10 must pass to enter the siphon passage 18 and the discharge passage 20. The toilet bowl 10 has about its upper peripheral edges an inlet passage 22 into which the water 16 passes before entering the toilet bowl ill. The inlet passage 22 communicates with the interior of the toilet bowl 10 by means of a plurality of communicating apertures (not shown) and it is to be understood that the normal water level within the toilet bowl ii) is generally designated by the broken line 24 and that the toilet bowl 10 also has a high flushing water level 26.

The container comprising a part of the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 28 and is in the form of a cylindrical container which is open at the top. It is to be noted that the cylindrical configuration of the container 28 is not important to the operation of the invention but that it is merely the most convenient configuration for the container. Secured about a lower portion of the container 23 is a radially and outwardly extending flange 34} which may most conveniently be constructed of a resilient material and is adapted to engage the converging walls 12 of the toilet bowl 159 defining the throat area 14 to provide a fluid seal therewith. The cylindrical walls of the container 28 disposed below the flange 30 are inwardly convergent or tapered and are interconnected at their lower ends by means of a slotted bottom wall 32. A circumferential. groove 34 is formed in the upper outer surfaces of the container 28 and has seated therein a resilient mounting ring 36 of the handle generally designated by the reference numeral 33 which is provided with an upstanding shank portion 4%) that is topped by a handle element 42.

With particular attention to FIGURE 6 of the drawings it will be noted that the container 28 is of suflicient height to extend above both water levels 24 and 26 when the flange 30 is engaged with the throat portion 14 of the bowl ill and that there is provided a plurality of circumferentially spaced water inlet openings 43 above the normal Water level 24 and below the high flushing water level 26. Further, the cylindrical walls of the container 28 disposed below the flange 30 and above the bottom wall 32 are provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet openings 44. Therefore, the water inlet openings 43 enable the entrance of water 16 into the container 28 upon the flushing of the toilet bowl it) and the outlet openings 44 and the slots 46 provide a means for the discharge of water and matter out of the container 28 below the flange 30 upon the flushing of the toilet bowl iii.

The plunger is generally designated by the reference numeral '48 and comprises a tubular shank 50 having the upper end thereof curved laterally to provide a handle 52. The shank 50 has a flared bore which is secured to a circular pressure plate or head generally designated by the reference numeral 56 in any convenient manner. The

pressure .plate 56 is circular to conform with the inside configuration of the container 28 and the tubular shank 5th is secured to the center of the pressure plate 56 and projects at right angles therefrom. The pressure plate 56 is provided with a plurality of openings 58 of any desired configuration wherein the pressure plate 56 forms a grid vertically movable in the container 28 which is adapted to pass water therethrough.

An upwardly tapering leaf spring tongs generally designated by the numeral 6% depends out of the flared lower end 54 of the shank 5% with the arms 62 of the tongs 69 normally resiliently urged to an open position to be cammed into a closed position by the flared end 54 of the shank portion 5% in response to retraction of the tongs 6 longitudinally into the flared end 54 of the shank 50.

Operating means for moving the tongs 6%) into a retracted position comprises a bifurcated hand grip 64 straddling and pivoted to the handle 52 by a pin 66 for pivotal movement by a hand grasping the handle 52. and urging the free end of the hand grip 64 toward the handle 52. A pull rod 68 is secured at one end to the bight portion 76 of the tongs 65} which is apertured at 72 to receive the lower end of the pull rod 68 therethrough. The lower end of the rod 68 is provided with an enlargement '74 for securing the lower end of the rod 68 through the apertured bight portion 70. The pull rod 68 extends longitudinally through the shank 5% with the upper end thereof projecting through an opening 76 formed in the laterally curved handle portion 52 and is secured by an enlargement '78 through an opening 80 formed in the hand grip 64.

A compression spring 82 bears against the bight portion 74 of the tongs 69 at one end and against a cross-pin 32 which is secured through the shank 5t) at the other end whereby the tongs 60 is normally positioned in an extended position outwardly of the flared lower end of the shank 5t? whereby the arms 62 thereof are resiliently urged to an open position.

In operation, the container 28 is positioned in the toilet bowl it with the flange 56} thereof seatingly engaged with the restricted throat area of the bowl 1d. The flange 30 not only provides a fluid seal between the container 28 and the downwardly converging side Walls 12 of the bowl but also provides a support for the container 28. Thus, the handle element 42 of the container 28 may be grasped to retain the container 28 in an upright position. As the container 28 is positioned within the toilet bowl 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 6 the normal water level 24 is maintained within the container 28 inasmuch as the water is allowed to enter the interior of the container 28 through the openings 44 and the slots 46. A soiled diaper may then be placed within the container 28 between the arms 62 of the tongs 6d whereupon the plunger 48 may be agitated to agitate the container 28 and the soiled diaper positioned therein. Inasmuch as the flange 30 is seatingly engaged with the walls 12. and inasmuch as the water inlet openings 43 are disposed above the normal water level 24 of the bowl 10 the water in which the soiled diaper is being rinsed is sealed from the water 26 in the bowl llldisposed above the flange 30 on the outside of the container 28 wherein that water and additional water entering from the tank (not shown) of the toilet will be allowed to enter the container 28 through the inlet openings 43 to flush the soiled water from within the container 28 and to rinse the diaper. If further agitation of the diaper is needed to remove soil therefrom, the process may be repeated as many times as it is necessary.

When the diaper has been rinsed as desired, the container 28 is raised and seated on one side of the bowl 10 with the lower end thereof overhanging the water 24 disposed in the bowl 10 and the plunger =48, with the pressure plate 56 disposed thereon is used to compress the diaper between the pressure plate 56 and the bottom wall 32 of the container to remove the excess water therefrom so that it may be placed in a fairly rinsed condition into a receptacle dcsignedlforsstoring the diapers until they can be cleaned.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a toilet bowl having depending and converging lower side walls defining a throat area leading into a siphon passage and a normal water level above said throat area and a high flushing water level above said normal level, an elongated, upright and open top diaper container, an outwardly projecting circumferential flange secured to a lower portion of said container seatingly engaged with said throat area forming a seal therein between said container and said depending side walls, said container being of a height to extend above the high flushing level of water in the bowl and having circumferentially spaced water inlet openings formed therein below said high flushing level and a sufficient distance above said normal level to enable water at said normal water level within said container to be agitated without passing outwardly of said container through said inlet openings and for admitting water into the container over a soiled diaper in the container upon the flushing of the toilet bowl and the rising of the water to said high water level, said container having a bottom wall having outlet openings formed therein forpermitting the dischargeof water from the interior of saidcontainer into said siphon passage, the side walls of said container disposed between said flange and said inlet openings being imperforate.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said flange is positioned a spaced distance above the lower end of said container, said container having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet openings formed therein below said flange and above said bottom wall.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said flange is of suflicient dimensions to be adapted to seatingly engage the converging walls of a toiletbowl above the lower ends thereof whereby said flange comprises a support for said container as Well as a seal therearound.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the walls of said container disposed below said flange are downwardly converging to conform to the adjacent converging walls of said throat area.

'5. The combination of claim 1 wherein at'least the upper portion of said container disposed above said flange encloses an area of substantially constant cross-sectional shape and area, a plunger vertically receivable in the upper portion of said container including means adapted to releasably grip a diaper and a diametrically enlarged pressure head snugly receivable in said container for reciprocation in the upper portion of said container and having axially'extending openings formed therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,465 Blessing Oct. 14, 1890 938,961 Brewer Nov. 2, 1909 2,065,347 Schulse Dec. 22, 1936 2,786,223 'Ziskind Mar. 26, 1957 2,829,377 Anderson Apr. 8, 1958 

